The term beleaguer was first introduced into the English language in the 1580s, originally meaning “to surround with troops” (essentially besiege). Over time, the meaning evolved into a more metaphorical sense, now defined as “to cause repeated problems for”. The prefix be- in beleaguer is an outdated suffix denoting “around” (also found in words like beset and belay), while the suffix leaguer comes from the Dutch or German verb legeren, which means “to camp”. This origin aligns with the historical context of the word. Legeren is etymologically linked to the word lair and originates from the Dutch word leger, meaning “bed”. The term leger can be traced back to the Proto-Indo-European root legh, signifying “lie” and also giving rise to words like lager, ledger, fellow, and law. As for the prefix be-, it stems from the Proto-Indo-European root hepi, meaning “at” or “near”.
